Just like a book has a page showing its contents, a website has a map of what's on its site and this is called a sitemap. It lists all of the pages within the website, and acts as a guide for visitors to navigate to where they want to be and search engine robots to find particular pages of the website. Having a sitemap optimizes the site with the search engines and also helps to persuade visitors to return at a future date.
There are three main kinds of sitemaps:
1. An indexed sitemap - as the name would suggest, this is an alphabetical listing or directory. The relationship between the pages is not indicated.
2. A full categorical sitemap - this sitemap shows all links which are classified into categories. This is a popular kind of sitemap as it makes searching for certain topics easier and simplifies things between categories.
3. A restricted categorical - this sitemap displays all links in a selected category at one time; but it will not show all the links of a website, as the full categorical type does. The sitemap limits the list of links within specific categories making viewing easier and reducing eye strain.
With any of the above mentioned kinds of sitemap there are techniques which can be used to set up a superior sitemap and here are six tips to help you do this.
1. Link the sitemap to your homepage only. This ensures that the search engine robot begins searching from your homepage down through all the pages listed in your sitemap and no page will remain unvisited by the robot.
2. Restrict your sitemap to 30 pages. If you have more than this, the search engines may mistake your sitemap as a link farm, and this will result in you being penalized. Limiting the number of pages also stops overcrowding of links and will make viewing less tiresome.
3. Check all the links in your sitemap for error messages. It really puts visitors off it they click on a link and only get a 404 error message or the page requested cannot be found. Sometimes they may click a link and get shown a page which has nothing to do with what they were looking for, so it pays to keep on regular check on your links and make sure your visitors are being directed to where they want to go.
4. Giving keyword-rich titles to your sitemaps helps with optimization of your website. Search engine robots will search your website correctly under the right category.
5. Supply a short description for the link enabling your visitors to know what to expect to find by clicking on a link. It will save them time when surfing your website.
6. Make sure the design of your sitemap is consistent with those of other pages of your website. Use the same HTML template for all pages within your site including the sitemap. This will build character and establish the identity of your website.
If you follow the tips above, your website will look professional, your visitors will be encouraged to make return visits and the search engine robots will crawl through all the pages in your site, increasing your ranking in the search engines.
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Every day people all over the world are searching the Internet for a home business opportunity. There are lots of reasons why people want to earn money at home. The two main reasons probably are that, firstly, they are unhappy in their job and, secondly, they want to earn more money. However, the thing most of these people do not realise is 95% of home business opportunities will fail.
The vast majority of people looking for these opportunities have no business experience at all and very little knowledge of the Internet and how things work. Unless they have access to clear guidance and instruction when setting up their business they are doomed to fail. Success is possible, but to achieve it there are certain actions the new business owner must take.
Here are 5 simple suggestions that will help you be truly successful in a year or less.
(1) Get a mentor. This is absolutely essential. If you want to be successful you will need clear guidance. If possible partner with someone who has been working the business for years, or join a mentoring group with a successful track record, or at least make sure there is a friendly, supportive, and knowledgeable person in your upline who is willing to help you.
(2) Find a system. Your mentor should have a system in place so he or she can teach you how to use it. There is absolutely no sense in wasting time and money learning through trial and error. You will be way ahead of everyone else if you can put a simple 1 2 3 step plan into action.
(3) Market something that is in demand by those who not only want it, but can afford to pay for it. The law demands that every business opportunity has a real product or service to market. Make sure your opportunity not only has this, but also that the product is in demand.
(4) Have an affordable and effective way to advertise to your prospects. Nobody is going to beat a path to your door unless you advertise effectively. You must get your message in front of your prospects over and over again using both online and off line advertising.
(5) Stay committed for a year. If you cannot stay focused on your project for at least 12 months, it is unlikely that you will succeed. Staying committed need not be difficult. Set realistic, attainable goals for one week, one month, three months, and six months into your project. Plan your work. Then work your plan with help from your mentor.
Failure will be inevitable if these simple steps are not taken.
Don't let that happen. Be one of the successful 5%.
Both Kevin Sinclair & Henri Deering are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Henri Deering has sinced written about articles on various topics from Internet Marketing, Search Engines and Your Online Business. Successful Internet marketer Henri Deering offers additional advice on He provides personal support and mentoring. Henri Deering's top article generates over 1000 views. to your Favourites.